N.C. Baptists called to prayer for Japan

North Carolina Baptists are urged to pray for the people of

Japan as the country continues to be rocked by aftershocks of an 9.0 earthquake

and deadly tsunami.

The aftershocks reach beyond infrastructure decimation and

the likelihood of thousands of lives lost. Explosions at the nation’s nuclear

power plants and plummeting Japanese financial markets are compounding these

crises.

Immediately following the disaster, N.C. Baptist Men sent

two key members of its international search and rescue team to help assess

damage and design a strategy for how N.C. Baptists could be of assistance.

The two members are John Adams, pastor at Salemburg Baptist

Church with former military experience, and Jack Frazier, a Cary firefighter

and team leader of Haiti 2010 earthquake relief effort. The men have had a wide

range of experience serving on the front lines of disaster relief including the

2005 Pakistan earthquake and the Philippines’ flood in 2009.

Contributed photo

N.C. Baptist volunteers with volunteers from Hungary and Japan.

Despite the fact that teams were on call and ready to be

deployed in the days following the disaster, the doors are not swinging open

for N.C. Baptists to go in to provide assistance.

Gaylon Moss, Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Coordinator for N.C.

Baptist Men, says a combination of factors contributed to cancellation of

planned disaster relief teams: “The Japanese are very organized in their search

and rescue efforts, difficulty getting into the area, the nuclear chaos that

has ensued. So a number of complicating factors preventing us from sending

additional volunteers. We’ve been meeting with the Japan Baptist Convention and

other faith-based groups to determine how we can coordinate and cooperate for

future response.”

Makoto Kato, executive director of the Japan Baptist

Convention, has called for prayer. Kato wrote, “The immediate heartfelt prayer

support and encouragement from you, our Christian brothers and sisters around

the world, is greatly appreciated. On behalf of the Japan Baptist Convention, I

want to express our deepest gratitude.”

Kato reports that churches located along the Pacific

coastline of Japan sustained heavy damage and many church members are

unaccounted for. The disaster has disrupted communications, plus a limited fuel

supply, power outages and obstructed roadways make it difficult to track down

missing people.

At this point, N.C. Baptists can assist by setting aside

intentional times of prayer for the people of Japan as well as our brothers and

sisters in Christ who are suffering through this horrific trial.

Moss asks that

we also pray for the Baptist Conventions in Japan “that they would be a light

in the darkness and be able to serve in this time of difficulty.”

You can also

give through Baptist Men and they will forward 100 percent of your donations to

the Japanese Baptists.

Click here for more information.

N.C. Baptists called to prayer for Japan

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N.C. Baptists called to prayer for Japan